Kianna Holm DB#5

Microaggressions is “everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership.” Microaggressions may be based on socioeconomic status, disability, gender, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, nationality, or religion. I’ve had many experiences with microaggressions. I think the most common one that happens to me is my teachers failing to learn to pronounce or continuing to mispronounce students’ names after they have corrected you. From my experience the long, complicated, unique names usually come from black girls. It’s understandable that the name may be hard to remember or pronounce but intentionally or not it creates a bad environment for a teacher to keep mispronouncing a student’s name. 

Systemic privilege, also known as Social privilege, is a “special, unearned advantage or entitlement, used to one’s own benefit or to the detriment of others. These groups can be advantaged based on social class, age, disability, ethnic or racial category, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and religion.” I have experienced a few cases of social privilege. Most of the privileges I experience are more so like gender roles or social norms. Being that I am a female, that can sometimes be a perk for me. For example, when I go out, men like to do kind gestures. From carrying my bags to buying my drinks at the club. This is a privilege I receive because of my gender. But it is also normal for men to carry heavy bags for women. 

I don’t have that level of social privilege that is able to use my privilege in service of others, and reduce microaggressions. I am a black woman living in  the U.S. Sadly, we still do experience racism and have to deal with white privileges. The odds are against us, black people, so our power and level of equality is little to none. But with the power that I do have I can help reduce microaggressions in many ways. When I was in middle school, the kids in my class used to bully the younger kids for no reason. I never participated in these antics because I never saw the purpose.  I would just listen and watch, sometimes I wouldn’t even pay attention to them. Until one time they made a little boy cry and I stepped in and stopped them. I realized that not saying or doing anything to stop the violence was just as bad.